1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of devices used for converting rotary motion into linear motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
The key functional element in all roller-screw systems, including the present system, is that the rotary motion of the shaft or roller-nut is converted into an axial force through the operation of the roller-nut on the shaft. The efficiency of that process is much greater than in the case of a conventional threaded shaft/nut system because of the inclusion of the rollers that are in rolling contact with both the shaft and the nut as opposed to sliding contact. Thus in the case of a properly operating roller-nut, axial force is created through machine elements that are in rolling contact with each other, as opposed to sliding contact in the case of a conventional nut/shaft system with a corresponding reduction in drag. This results in a significant increase in efficiency for a roller-screw system as compared to a conventional nut/shaft system.
In the present case, the high efficiency operation is achieved with elements that are less costly to manufacture and easier to assemble than in other high efficiency and roller-screw systems currently available.